I have been shooting one for the last few years, interspersed with Laramies.
The .44 Russian remains my favorite revolver cartridge...large bore, accurate, easy to reload, modest in recoil.
I removed the spur from mine as I kept getting fingers hung up in it when drawing from a holster. I really like the balance and "feel" of this model, nonetheless. As with all the S&W topbreaks, the sights are pretty dismal, however.